Don't worry, Shift said inside her head, I've already been told. I'm pretty sure you can hear me.

I really can, Sal thought, amazed, her eyes widening.

Nice, and I can hear you easily. Looks like you're a natural. His face showed no hint of their conversation, the thought ending as he switched to his voice. "Glad they finally let you go, Private," he teased. "You almost missed getting a room. The rest of you have your cabins and meeting times. Luxx, you'll have cabin 12. That's with the rest of the Black Blades. Being the only woman in the group, the Lieutenant wants to discourage extra curricular activities. Now, the rest of you are dismissed. Luxx, he'd like to meet with you now, rather than in the morning." Don't worry, he doesn't bite. We just need to sort out the incident earlier, he assured her.

Sal nodded. Am I going to be dismissed? she wondered.

Nah, Shift thought while he escorted her across the compound. Pretty sure you didn't mean to send that, but you did. Look, we're not a bunch of assholes, ok? You won't be dismissed because some damned primates try to harass ya. And this little deal, Shift gestured between their heads, can't exactly be ignored.

She nodded professionally but her heart was hammering. She'd already been noticed, and she wasn't sure it was in a good way. When Shift gestured for her to follow, she fell in beside him, careful to stay just behind his shoulder. He might not be completely human, but she didn't want to cause any more problems than she already had. Obviously, they accepted the crossbreds well enough. Maybe if she could convince them she was tame, they'd give her a chance?

He slowed his steps until she was beside him. Don't do that. You're not in shit, we just need to sort out a few things.

"Sorry, sir," she muttered.

And don't fuckin' 'sir' me. Look, we're not like that, ok? I don't care what some human says you should do, we know what you are. If anything, I should be walking around behind you.

His thoughts shocked her. What?

Shift looked over to her quickly. You weren't raised by an iliri, were you.

It wasn't a question, but she decided to try answering. No. I was purchased young, as a pet and servant. I've never really met any other iliri.

Well, that's going to make things harder. He gently touched her shoulder. It's ok, though. You're not alone anymore. Just breathe, I'm sure you can smell it.

Smell what?

Shift grinned. The truth. There's so much more going on than you could ever guess. What we're about to show you is just a hint.

Chapter 2

Rise of the Iliri: BloodLust: Book 1

Shift grabbed the plain wood door before them and pulled it open, gesturing for her to go first. Sal pulled off her cap as she entered and took a deep breath, looking around. The ever-present sweet smell was faint, little more than a tickle in her nose. Instead, she savored scents that felt natural and comforting. They reminded her of something from long ago.

Across the room, Lieutenant Blaec Doll stood with his bare back to them. At the sound of the door, his head tilted, he grabbed a clean shirt from the chair beside him, and shoved his arms into the sleeves as he turned. His chest was smooth, perfect except for one pale line across his hip that vanished under the waist of his pants. She wondered how a soldier could've fought for so long without the marks to prove it. When her eyes finally made their way to his face, he was waiting.

"She doesn't have a clue," Shift said, leaving her side to drop into a chair before a massive desk. "Pretty good instincts, though. We've been chatting."

The Lieutenant nodded. "I see that. Any reason you didn't give me a warning?"

"Nope." Shift grinned and leaned back, the chair creaking in protest. "Brought her to the office like I was told. Not my fault you're half naked."

He chuckled. "If you'd been any earlier, I would have been all naked."

"What," Shift teased, "didn't want to stay in armor all day?"

"Nor show my bare ass to the recruits." The Lieutenant grinned before turning to Sal. "So, Private. Heard you've been making things interesting."

Sal wasn't sure if she was already off to a bad start, but dared to hope that Shift was right. "I'm sorry, sir."

He stopped just a step away, his hard green eyes boring into hers. When she refused to look down, he smiled slowly. "I see. And how long can you keep that up, little iliri?"

He was challenging her intentionally! As long as I need to, she thought, but said, "Pardon me, sir?" Her ears flicked forward, locked on him, wondering what he was trying to do.

"Her mind and her tongue don't agree," Shift said. "I'm getting a drink if you're gonna start that shit."

"Pour her one, too," the Lieutenant ordered, never breaking the gaze. "She'll need it." He stepped closer, his attention back on her. "Now tell me, are you always this submissive?"

He was taunting her. When she refused to blink, he stared back, a smile playing at his mouth. Sal tried to ignore the sudden desire to see him look away. He outranked her, but every fiber in her body said she deserved to see him submit. While Shift poured the drink, she tracked him with an ear, never breaking her stare with the Lieutenant.

"How long can you really hold it?" he whispered.

The arrogance in his tone was too human, too sure of himself. Her ears locked back and a rumble started in her throat. When he leaned forward she snarled, allowing her lips to pull back, revealing both sets of cutting teeth. He was too close.

The Lieutenant smiled. "You really think you can make me back down? Are you really that sure of yourself?"

"That would be improper, sir," Sal said, refusing to look away. Her tone was professional even if the growl wasn't.

He leaned even closer. "Iliri rarely care about the ranks of humans, girl. Either you're more dominant than me, or you aren't. Pick one, and prove it." His voice was so quiet she assumed Shift hadn't heard.

"Don't push it," Shift said as the door opened behind them. "She's running on pure instinct. Never met our kind before."

"Shit." The new voice sounded like Razor, the officer who'd spoken to them earlier. "Feral?"

"No." The Lieutenant's voice was a purr. "Not at all. Strong, but not feral." He leaned back, looking pleased. "Now go sit down, Private. That's an order."

Sal paused. Her instincts said she should not look away or she'd give him control. Her mind realized that disobeying the order would be a good way to end her trials early. Desperately, she tried to decide which would be the greater loss. Eventually, she forced herself to blink, took a deep breath to halt the growl, and sighed before moving to the chair beside Shift, refusing to rub at her ears to relax them. She wouldn't give him that much satisfaction. The door opened again.

"I smell that," Arctic said. "What did you do to her?"

"Made her submit," Razor told him. "She's not too pleased about it."

Sal's head snapped around, looking at the men she sat with. "I didn't say anything!"

Razor tapped his nose. "Didn't have to. Even Shift can smell that. Defeat. It's not a good scent for you, Kaisae."

"She doesn't know," The Lieutenant said, claiming the chair behind the desk.

Arctic took the chair beside her. "So I was right."

The other three answered in unison, all with some variation of yes. It seemed they'd already had a discussion about her, and Sal felt like she was playing catch up.

"Tamed?" Arctic sounded terrified of the answer.

"Not at all," the Lieutenant said. "No, not at all. She knows nothing, but she hasn't been tamed, even though she tries really hard to act like it."